The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-08-24
Fighting Fish.

The male stiekleback is 4 prodisious
warrior, and when he meets a rival of his
own kind he engages with. him at once in
deadly warfare. Their battles, says Mr..
Darwin are at times desperate, for these
puny combatants fasten tight on each
other for several seconds. tumbIing over
and over agIin, until their strength ap-
pears utterly exhausted. Bold and pug
nacious as they are, however, it is only
my lords who thus tiereely contend with
one another. Their demure little mates
remain always PERFECTLY pacific, gentle,
and even tempered. With the rough
tailed sticklebaek, the males while fight
ing swim round one another, biting and
endeavoring to pierce each others mailed
skin with their raised lateral spines or
lances. Small as they are their bite is
very severe, and infiiets deadly wound
upon their antagonist add Mr. Noel
Humphreys remarks that they use their
lateral spines with fierce effect, so that he
has seen one brave stickleback during a
stout battle rip up his opponent from end
TO enc., till the vanquished hero sank to
the bottom and died ingloriously. 1t is
during the moment of battle, and just be-
fore and after it, that the colors of all
fighting animals become invariably most
intense. The reason is plain: battle is
joined Just before the mating season, and
before the face of maidens and danes :"
and, as in human tournaments, the ladies
stand by 10 applaud the conquerors and
to reward their PROCESS. They are them
selves the prize of the encounter they
stimulate Besides, the highest physical
vigor and the highest excitement bring
out the greatest beauty of both men and
animals The angrier you make a man
drill tine more yividly tinted are his
cheeks and caIosities. The frilled lizards
and flying dragons glow with all the
brightest colors of the rainbow when YOU
tease or annoy them. The turkey cock
swells his crimson wattles and spreads
Ills ktdi4ltiN ~ btft QhliiOSt ~ ri-nt
of rival or misclievous boy. There is
a little hot-tempered fish known as Beta
puglldx and kept as sort of domestic
pet by the Siamese (much as the Chistian
English gentleman of 10 or 80 years since
kept fighting cocks to display its prowess
for the edification OF the Monaghan in
teIligenee When in a state of quiet,
SAYS Cantor. its dull colors present moth
ing remarkable: but if two be brought
together, or if one sees its own image in a
looking glass the little creature becomes
suddenly excited, the raised fins and the
whole body shine with metallic colors of
dazzling beauty, while the projected gill
membrane, waving like black friii
round the throat, adds something of gro
tesqueness to the general appearance. In
this state it makes repeated darts at its
real or reflected antagonist But both,
when taken out of each others sight, in
stantly became quiet" The lighting fish
Is, rs the Siamese call them, are kept in
globes like gold fish and fed from time to
time with the larve of mosquitoes. The
Siainese are as wild after their fish fights
as the Malays are for cockfighting, and
often stake large sums, or even the free
dom of themselves and their families. on
the prowess and skill of a particular BETA.
The license to exhibit fish fights is farm
ed by Government and brings in a con-
siderable revenue to the King of Siam